A day before he was scheduled to give sworn testimony about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong reached a settlement with an insurance company that was seeking $3 million in performance bonuses it paid him from 1999-2001.

Nebraska-based Acceptance Insurance sued Armstrong earlier this year after he admitted he doped during a career in which he won the Tour de France seven times.

The settlement means Armstrong won't need to show up for a Thursday deposition in Austin, Texas, where he was expected to be asked to detail drug use throughout his career. Though Armstrong has acknowledged drug use in interviews with Oprah Winfrey and other media, he has yet to provide sworn testimony.

Both sides declined to disclose details but said the case was "resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties."

Armstrong still faces a similar $12 million lawsuit from Dallas-based SCA Promotions, a case that's now in arbitration. He also faces a federal whistle-blower lawsuit.

College football

Quarterback Jordan Lynch ran for three touchdowns and 161 yards to lead No. 20 Northern Illinois (11-0, 7-0 Mid-American) to a 35-17 win at Toledo (7-4, 5-2). The Huskies clinched a fourth straight trip to the MAC title game. They're still in the hunt for a second straight BCS appearance. The Huskies are 16th in this week's BCS rankings.

Advertisement

Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann met with the family of a former player who left the team after claiming defensive coordinator Dave Cohen bullied him and limited his playing time. Hermann had a meeting with parents of Jevon Tyree. Coach Kyle Flood previously said the school will honor Tyree's scholarship for the balance of the academic year. Tyree left the team Nov. 6.

Cornerback Bradley Roby will join Ohio State's seniors in playing their final home game Saturday against Indiana. Coach Urban Meyer said the fourth-year junior will make himself available for the 2014 NFL draft.

MLS

Forwards Robbie Keane of Los Angeles, Mike Magee of Chicago and Marco DiVaio of Montreal are finalists for the league's MVP award. The winner will be announced Dec. 5. Coach of the Year finalists are Salt Lake's Jason Kreis, New York's Mike Petke and Portland's Caleb Porter. That winner will be announced Dec. 2. The Earthquakes had no finalists in any award.

Soccer

Mexico earned the next-to-last berth in the 32-nation World Cup by beating New Zealand 4-2 in Wellington for a 9-3 aggregate win in their home-and-home playoff. Oribe Peralta had a first-half hat trick, giving him five goals in the playoff. Miguel Herrera, on loan by the Mexican League's Club America, coached the national team in the playoff. His starting lineup included seven players from his club team.

Uruguay claimed the final berth at the World Cup, tying visiting Jordan 0-0 in Montevideo for a 5-0 aggregate win.

Raucous celebrations after Algeria qualified for the 2014 World Cup were linked to 12 deaths, authorities in Algiers reported, as fans poured into city streets after Algeria beat Burkina Faso on Tuesday.